Mike Shinoda: Nu-metal went from being corny to the coolest thing again

Mike Shinoda has reflected on the cyclical nature of various genre's popularity, explaining the waves he experienced in Linkin Park with nu-metal.

Speaking to Kerrang! Radio's Sophie K, Mike discusses the next wave of artists coming through and how they are blending genres together – just as he did with Linkin Park.

“Honestly, I’ve lived through I don’t even know how many irritations of, 'This thing being dead, and that thing being corny…'" he says. "And that comes back around. Nu-metal went from the biggest thing on the planet to the corniest thing on the planet to the coolest thing again – and you're just like, 'Wait, what?!'"

Opening up about who is exciting him in the alternative scene right now, Mike continues, "The point is, this stuff is cyclical, and we have a new generation of artists – not just rappers – but artists in general who are infusing lots of rock and other styles into their music. It’s exciting – I don’t hate on that.

Read this: The story of nu-metal in 14 songs

"From Iann [Dior] to 24KGoldn, and Kid LAROI and Trippie Redd and even Post Malone; Post is a rock star. Post is a singer, he's a guitar player, and people think of him as a rapper because he presents himself that way sometimes, but music is just music, man. I’m not stuck on any of that genre garbage."

Pointing to Linkin Park starting out with the band name Hybrid Theory and their "role in breaking boundaries between genres", the musician continues, "It’s funny because some of the new generation don’t even know the way things were before bands like us, and then how albums like Hybrid Theory and so on changed the way people looked at music. They were born after that, and they were born into the things that they are, mixed genres."

Watch the full interview below:

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